Detroit Opera House Restorer Dr. David Di Chiera passed away at 83.

[Gistok]

Sadly Dr. David Di Chiero, who founded Michigan Opera Theatre, and saved the Capitol Theatre from certain death passed away on Tuesday at 83 of pancreatic cancer.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/21/o...iera-dead.html

In April the major Detroit dailies announced that Dr. Di Chiera had pancreatic cancer, so the announcement this week is of no surprise.

Dr. Di Chiera founded Michigan Opera Theatre in 1971, and in the 1990s built a world class Opera House for the organization. The Capitol Theatre [[formerly Grand Circus Theatre).... was long ago given up for dead by theatre buffs... it was considered too far gone. But Dr. Di Chiera's vision and a strong detemination, and the support of Detroit's elite [[including Ford Motor Company's Jacques Nasser's now ex-wife Jennifer Nasser), Dr. Di Chiera had the foresight to transfer a derlilect theater into a world class Opera House. $42 million was spent on replacing 90%+ of the ornate plaster and a new 7,800 sq. ft. opera size stage house. Also a further $22 million was spent for the massive Opera House Garage, which [[located near stadia, an arena and other theatres) will help keep the opera house afloat for many years to come.

It's the vision of people like Dr. Di Chiera [[and Chuck Forbes & Dan Gilbert) that see the value in Detroit's historic fabric of buildings that will continue to attracts people to downtown Detroit.

R.I.P. Dr. Di Chiera....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODXZsamv2UM

The funeral was held Friday at the Detroit Opera House. Dr. Di Chiera was survived by his ex-wife and their 2 daughters.